Conveyor belt

ABSTRACT

A self-troughing conveyor belt made of flexible material comprising a series of laterally extending reinforcing members embedded therein, each reinforcing member comprising three metal strips disposed in end to end relationship in a nylon tube whereby the ends of the metal strips are restrained from breaking through the belt due to relative movement between the strips.

United States Patent Ian M.Thomson Crowthorne, England [21] AppLNo772,946

[72] Inventor [22] Filed Nov. 4, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 26, 1971 l 73Assignee Solar Thomson Engineering Company Limited Camberley, Surrey,England [32] Priority Nov. 7, 1967 [33] Great Britain [54] CONVEYOR BELT10 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] U.S. Cl 198/193, 198/201 [51] lnt. Cl ..B65g 15/30, 865g 15/40 [50]Field ofSearch 198/193, 201; 74/237 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 932,015 8/1909 Heaton 198/ 193 Primary Examiner-Edward A. SrokaAtt0rneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: A self-troughingconveyor belt made of flexible material comprising a series of laterallyextending reinforcing members embedded therein, each reinforcing membercomprising three metal strips disposed in end to end relationship in anylon tube whereby the ends of the metal strips are restrained frombreaking through the belt due to relative movement between the strips.

CONVEYOR BELT This invention is concerned with conveyor belts of thekind made of flexible material, e.g. natural or synthetic rubber.

Our copending U.S. Pat. application No. 720,189 describes a conveyorbelt of that kind in which means are provided for troughing the conveyorbelt on its upper run and in which laterally extending reinforcingmembers are provided embedded in the belt. The reinforcing members maybe arranged as transverse sets of reinforcing elements so as to permitsaid troughing. However, relative angular movement of the elements ofeach set as they pass round the conveyor, tends to cause the adjacentends of those elements to break through and damage the material of thebelt. It is an object of the present invention to provide means forcombating this tendency.

According to the invention, there is provided a conveyor belt made offlexible material and having a plurality of laterally extendingreinforcing members embedded therein, each reinforcing member comprisinga plurality of reinforcing elements disposed in end-to-end relationshipand interconnected by flexible belt-protecting means covering at leastad jacent ends of said elements.

The reinforcing elements preferably comprise metal strips or rods,advantageously spaced apart from one another.

The protecting means may comprise a tube completely covering the lengthsof the elements. Advantageously flexible distance pieces are provided inthe tube between the elements. Alternatively, the protecting means maybe moulded around the elements to enclose them completely. Preferablythe protecting means is made from a suitable plastics material, e.g.nylon.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made,by way of example, to the accompanying drawing in which the single FlG.is a transverse section through one embodiment.

In the FIG. there is shown a troughed conveyor belt made of natural orsynthetic rubber in which is embedded a laterally extendingreinforcement member comprising a flexible nylon tube 11 in which threemetal rods l2, l3 and 14 are arranged. The belt can be considered tohave three portions, viz. a central portion indicated at 15 and two wingportions indicated at 16 and 17. Also embedded in the belt, and formingpart thereof, is a layer of fabric 18. i

The rods extend within the tube along a major part of the length of eachrespective belt portion in which they are situated, but are spaced fromone another at the junction of the wing portions with the centralportion so that there is a short length of hollow tube at these twopoints. The metal rods l2, l3 and 14 are rigid relatively to the nylontube 11. By this con struction, the wing portions are thus in effecthinged to the central position.

Preferably, two lengths of nylon rod 19 of the same diameter as themetal rods are inserted between the metal rods, thus acting as distancepieces to locate the metal rods and also strengthening the hinge.

The illustrated reinforcement member is formed by inserting the threerods and the two distance pieces into an appropriate length of tube. Inan alternative construction to that illustrated, the rods are moulded inposition in a rodlike mass of synthetic plastics material.

A plurality of such reinforcement members is spaced along the conveyorbelt. In this way both the central and wing portions of the conveyorbelt are reinforced by the rods, while the nylon covering, being tougherthan the material of the belt, resists any tendency of the ends of therods to break through and damage the fabric or covers (i.e. top andbottom layers) of the belt and thereby protects the belt.

The reinforcement member is particularly useful for reinforcing selftroughing conveyor belts such as those described in our copendingapplication 720,1 89.

Thus the conveyor belt may be provided with longitudinally extendingribs 23 which engage similar rib 24 provided on a drive belt 21 (shownin dotted lines), the conveyor belt also being provided with downwardlyand outwardly protruding projections or support shoes 22 (also indicatedin dotted lines) which engage in grooves 20 in the drive belt so as tosupport the wing portions of the conveyor belt whereby the conveyor beltassumes a troughed configuration. However conveyor belts according tothe invention may be used in other conveyor systems, e.g. those in whichtroughing is effected by inclined idler rollers.

We claim:

1. A conveyor beltmade of flexible material and having a plurality oflaterally extending reinforcing members em bedded therein, applicationreinforcing comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed inend-to-end relationship and interconnected by flexible belt-protectingmeans covering at least adjacent ends of said elements.

2. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the elements of eachreinforcing member are spaced apart from one another.

3. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcingelements comprise metal strips or rods.

4. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said protecting meanscomprises a cover containing said elements.

5. A conveyor belt according to claim 4, wherein the cover comprises atube.

6. A conveyor belt according to claim 5, wherein the elements of eachreinforcing member are spaced apart from one another and flexibledistance pieces are provided in the tube between the elements.

7. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the protecting means ismoulded around said elements.

8. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the elements of eachreinforcing member are covered over their whole length by saidprotecting means.

9. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said elements comprisea central element disposed between two wing elements.

10. A belt conveyor having an endless conveyor belt ac cording to claim1, at least one endless drive belt in frictional driving engagement withthe inner surface of the conveyor belt at least along the load-carryingflight thereof, and support means for supporting the conveyor belt in atroughed configuration, which support means travel with the conveyorbelt at least along the load carrying flight thereof.

1. A conveyor belt made of flexible material and having a plurality oflaterally extending reinforcing members embedded therein, applicationreinforcing comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed inend-to-end relationship and interconnected by flexible belt-protectingmeans covering at least adjacent ends of said elements.
 2. A conveyorbelt according to claim 1, wherein the elements of each reinforcingmember are spaced apart from one another.
 3. A conveyor belt accordingto claim 1, wherein the reinforcing elements comprise metal strips orrods.
 4. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said protectingmeans comprises a cover containing said elements.
 5. A conveyor beltaccording to claim 4, wherein the cover comprises a tube.
 6. A conveyorbelt according to claim 5, wherein the elements of each reinforcingmember are spaced apart from one another and flexible distance piecesare provided in the tube between the elements.
 7. A conveyor beltaccording to claim 1, wherein the protecting means is moulded aroundsaid elements.
 8. A conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein theelements of each reinforcing member are covered over their whole lengthby said protecting means.
 9. A conveyor belt according to claim 1,wherein said elements comprise a central element disposed between twowing elements.
 10. A belt conveyor having an endless conveyor beltaccording to claim 1, at least one endless drive belt in frictionaldriving engagement with the inner surface of the conveyor belt at leastalong the load-carrying flight thereof, and support means for supportingthe conveyor belt in a troughed configuration, which support meanstravel with the conveyor belt at least along the load carrying flightthereof.